Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Need a new look before the decorations go up?
With the long Alaskan winter nights upon us and the decorative holidays right around the corner, it’s a perfect time to do a simple and inexpensive mini-make over prior to putting up the festive décor at your home. And the perfect place to find all the materials you’ll need for your seasonal mini-make over is Columbia Paint & Coatings in Soldotna. “Actually anytime is a good time to change the look of your home with some wall coatings or wall paper, to brighten, change or freshen up a room to get it ready for the holidays,” says Columbia Paint & Coating District Manager Russ Rosin. Russ is the son of Roger Rosin, the original owner of the Columbia Paint store that has been serving the community for some 30 years. “We like to help people and feel we offer good advice so we can not only sell the appropriate product but be sure the customer goes home and has good results with it. We do our best to answer everybody’s questions and translate what they have in mind into what they will be happy with when the job is complete,” said Rosin.

More than a just a pretty smile
It used to be the only time you went to the dentist was when you had a painful problem. The visit usually resulted in extractions, fillings, bridges, crowns, or root canals, all requiring painful, invasive procedures. You looked forward to going to the dentist about as much as you looked forward to a visit from the in-laws.

Chad, Bob & Charlene open CBC Tool Rental
From now on when someone says they have a friend at the CBC, don’t think they’re talking about the Canadian Broadcasting Company or that other club in Juneau, think tools, supplies and rentals. Bob and Charlene Oakes have opened a new rental and supply store just a couple of miles north of Soldotna on the Sterling Highway in what might be a record time from ground breaking to opening. “We started lifting walls June 1st and we officially opened our doors Monday November 6th,” said Bob Oakes. According to Oakes, who has been in the building industry since 1982, they used a panelized building system which allowed for the building to be “dried-in” within a week.

Column raises concerns
Cal Thomas seems offended that detainees at Guantanamo are not grateful to their captors (Clarion, Nov. 7). There are over 450 detainees currently at Guantanamo. Most of these detainees were not captured on the battlefield. They were kidnapped, rounded up in a crowd or turned in by paid informants with a score to settle. Some were as young as 13 when captured. Many have been held for over four years without charge, without access to a fair trial, and without hope of ever being released.

Supporters earn cheers
The Soldotna High School cheerleaders would like to thank all of our sponsors for this years 2006 football season. With their support, we were able to purchase uniforms and send the SoHi cheerleaders to Anchorage to cheer on the state football champs.

Palin needs to clean house
On Dec. 4, Governor-Elect Sarah Palin will become Alaska’s top program manager. As she assumes her duties and responsibilities, Gov. Murkowski’s overt arrogance and obtuseness (he still doesn’t get it!), his lack of any meaningful communications with his constituency and his surrounding himself with yes-people and cronies, should be her model for “lessons learned, which should not be repeated.”

Halloween event a treat for all involved
For the past few years Sterling Elementary PTA has held a Halloween Trunk or Treat. This event runs before other functions in the Sterling area so that families have a full evening without leaving the area.

2 indicted for TJ Seggy’s robbery
Suspects arrested in connection with a Nov. 11 armed robbery at a Kasilof gas station told friends they were going to Soldotna to buy cigarettes and transmission fluid, when they instead drove to TJ Seggy’s, held up a clerk and stole approximately $265, according to an Alaska State Troopers report.

Rewrite of coastal zone plan nearing completion
Planners are putting the finishing touches on an update of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Coastal Management Plan, which could be adopted by the assembly early next year, said Coastal Management Coordinator Gary Williams.

Fireweed caught in Catch-22
The school board accepted the district administration’s recommendation regarding housing for Fireweed Academy on Monday, leaving the Homer charter school in a conundrum.

DNR OKs 50-horse motors
The Department of Natural Resources has accepted the recommendations of a Kenai area advisory board to propose regulation changes to raise motorboat horsepower limits, but has retuned recommendations relating to boat size limitations and motor emissions.

Bridge workers take a holiday
After working seven-day weeks following a three week lull this fall, workers on the Sterling Highway bridge over the Kenai River in Soldotna will be getting a three-day break for Thanksgiving.

Assembly to consider spending
Several proposed spending packages pending action by the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly are scheduled for public hearings at the assembly’s regular meeting in Soldotna today.

Holiday feasts set to serve all
Thought by many to be the one adult holiday of the year because it does not involve games, presents and party hats, Thanksgiving Day means a big dinner party to most Americans.

Energy shortage looms
Southcentral Alaska and the Railbelt face a looming energy supply crisis and have but a few short years, perhaps less than a decade, to find viable solutions that can deliver adequate energy at a reasonable price to avoid serious financial consequences, the Kenai Peninsula Borough’s energy industry expert said Tuesday.

Board OKs impaired listing
A local parks advisory board has voted to support a proposal to list the lower Kenai River as impaired under the federal Clean Water Act  a move that opponents of the proposal say would be premature and irresponsibly lump the river’s reputation with those of water bodies with far worse pollution problems.

Around the Peninsula
CES to light fire safety wreath
Craft fair slated
Living with diabetes talk planned
Fish, game advisors to discuss river

Dormady jumps out as a leader
There’s no second chances when it comes to making a first impression. When it came to Kenai Central senior Michael Dormady and Kenai wrestling coach Dave Boyle, no second chance was needed.

Homer tops SoHi, 3-1
Josh Pitta, Erik Rasmussen and Adam Trieweiler all scored and goalie Ben Miller denied 34 of the 35 shots he faced in leading Homer to a 3-1 victory over visiting Soldotna Tuesday.

Hard work of fishing makes for a summer well spent
Most of my friends spend the summer vagrantly wondering what to do with themselves. Getting a job is usually at the top of their list, next to having fun, which may consist of staying up till 5 a.m. drinking Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew during a movie marathon. Yep, summer can be rough. Especially mine, since I annually spend it across the bay from Homer in Halibut Cove.

Students capture wind power at Mind a-Mazes
Students around the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District are full of hot air  or more specifically, have found ways to harness the power of moving air  and they’re proud of it.